Time to emasculate male-coded job advertisements

Are your job adverts unwittingly discouraging applications from relevant candidates? According to recent research, so-called masculine language such as “individual”, “challenging” and “driven” is putting women off from applying for certain roles.

In an analysis of more than 7,500 UK job adverts, hiring platform Applied used a gender score calculator to detect male-coded language as well as the use of feminine words, with “collaborate”, “responsibility” and “share” among examples of the latter.

Across those ads containing a heavy amount of masculine language, the number of female applicants dropped by up to 10 per cent, with less than half (44%) applying for those positions. When employers replaced the masculine-coded words with feminine language, or words deemed to be neutral, the proportion of female applicants was projected to rise to as much as 54%.

Despite decades of work to progress gender parity, societal views of what is considered masculine and feminine remain deeply ingrained and broadly prevalent. Employers looking to attract the widest range of candidates possible should take care to use bias-free and inclusive language in their job adverts.

The wording within a job listing doesn’t just outline the skills required for a certain role, it also gives candidates an insight into the organisation’s culture. If job specifications favour men, then the working environment will likely be the same. Female candidates will pick up on this, even if only subconsciously.

One way to combat this is to ditch the lengthy wish list of mandatory skills and experience, focusing instead on a maximum half-a-dozen key areas of expertise and responsibility. It also helps to present job requirements in behavioural terms – rather than specifying an “analytical” candidate, ask for someone who can analyse data.

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Job vacancies are at an all-time high in the UK, with many employers struggling to pull in quality candidates. At the same time, female employment levels have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, with women more likely to have been placed on furlough or have their working hours cut.

Now more than ever, employers must strive to ensure that the way they advertise and recruit for vacancies does not deter women from applying, nor undermine their chances of gaining employment. Anything that threatens to lock women out of work will not just damage their financial prospects, but also the fortunes of those organisations starved of skilled workers.

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